Precious
by clueless-chan
Summary: Fujimiya Aya was ordered by the Emperor to marry Count Crawford, a nobleman from the other side of the ocean. However, Ran, her big brother, heard that Count Crawford was a cruel man with strange gift. CrawfordRan, slash, perhaps some lemons later.
1. Chapter 1

**title**: Precious  
**author **: cluelesspsycho  
**fandom**: Weiss Kreuz  
**characters/pairing**: Crawford/Ran, Ken/Aya-chan  
**rating**: NC17  
**warning **: AU Fantasy, a little crack, OOCness, OC, weirdness, slash, cross-dressing, some kinks, pirates, guest appearances, lemons, I'm sure there are more.  
**disclaimer **: I own nothing but my crazy writing talent.  
**summary **: Fujimiya Aya was ordered by the Emperor to marry Count Crawford, a nobleman from the other side of the ocean. However, Ran, her big brother, heard that Count Crawford was a cruel man with strange gift. He didn't want Aya to suffer. Ran arranged for Aya to escape with Ken, and showed up at the wedding as the bride.  
**Author notes: ATTENTION! ATTENTION! This is the most important part of this story. This story is written for ****spiritaway****, as a gift for her upcoming wedding showers her with sparkly confetti and rose petals **

Special credits go to **seraphimgrace** for the basic idea and the beta, and _Hanna FL_ for her endless inputs.

**Part One: The Count from the Other Side of the Ocean**

"He's ugly!" Fujimiya Aya exclaimed loudly.

That got Ran, her big brother, to lift his face from the book he was reading and turn his head to look at Aya. Aya was standing near the window, looking out, using a telescope Ran got as a gift from one of his father's many trips to Edo. With the telescope, they could see as far as the sea shore where ships and boats docked.

They were in Ran's room, on the second floor of the Fujimiya's house. It was a little after lunch time, Ran was having some spare time before his kendo practice, and as usual, Aya gave him company. Ran did not mind that. He loved Aya so dearly. Besides, they would not be able to spend time together in the very near future, as Aya was engaged to be married- With the gaijin she was looking at through the telescope now.

"Let me see," Ran got up from his sitting, the fabric of his hakama rustling with his movements. He put the book neatly on the low table, and walked towards Aya.

"I'm scared, _aniki_," Aya squeaked like a wounded mouse as she handed the telescope to Ran. "He's big, he must be as tall as the house… and he's hairy and his hands are very big…"

Ran put his palm on Aya's back, hoping that his smile was reassuring enough. "You'll be fine, Aya-chan, you'll be fine."

Aya batted her eyelashes, as if fighting back tears which had suddenly started to form at the corner of her eyes. "Aniki, he's really scary… I don't want you…"

Ran put a finger on Aya's lips to stop her from babbling uncontrollably like she always did when she was nervous. "Shush now, we have planned everything, and you'll be happy and that is what's important the most."

"Thank you, _Aniki_," Aya threw her body to Ran and hugged her brother tightly and began to sob quietly.

Ran cuddled Aya's head, breathing slowly, making his best effort to calm down and not give away his own feelings to Aya. Everything was planned, he had seen into every detail to make sure that the plan was flawless. It was Aya's happiness that he concerned the most and he would make sure that was what was going to happen.

After Aya had calmed down, with his left arm still embracing Aya, Ran lifted the telescope to his right eye and peeked through the cylinder. He saw a huge ship he had never seen before, with flags he had never seen before too. He could make out the name of the ship, though. _Persephone_. He had to admit that the ship was beautiful, as well as sturdy enough to ride the waves, his heart raced at the thought of traveling with her.

Then he shifted his gaze to the group of people at the shore. There were two groups, differed by the way they dressed. The first group was Lord Reiji from the Takatori Castle and Fujimiya Senior, Ran's father, and their respective guards and servants, all wearing assortment of kimonos and hakama and haori and zori with their hair done in complicated styles. No one remember his father's first name, he had always been called Fujimiya, as far as Ran remembered that Ran suspected that his father did not really have a surname, or a family name, in that matter. Only when Ran was born, the name Fujimiya became a family name, and his father became Fujimiya Senior. No one protested, because Fujimiya Senior was very rich as he was a high merchant who had lots of deals with the Emperor, making him as respectable as Lord Reiji, their ruler.

The other group was the people from the Persephone ship. They were westerners. _Barbarians_, Ran thought sourly. They wore pants and coats and shirts and boots. Some of them had their hair tied at the nape of their necks, the rest were bald. One man dressed meticulously, his pants made of suede, his coat fine wool and his shirt silk. His leather boots were polished perfectly that the leather glinted under the sun, just like his diamond-studded buttons along the shirt. He was wearing a pair of glasses, and his hair was combed back neatly, not too short, but not long enough to have to be tied.

And he was not ugly.

He was handsome, with chiseled feature and golden, smart eyes and thin lips that did not seem to move at all when he spoke to Lord Reiji and Fujimiya Senior. He was tall, and Ran guessed that he was muscular enough beneath the layers of clothes, yet he did not look bulky. And his hands looked really strong as he shook hands with Lord Reiji and Fujimiya Senior.

Ran felt an uneasy churn in his stomach, reminding himself, reminding him that Count Crawford, no matter how handsome he was, was still a barbarian. And a barbarian did not deserve his sister. Even if it was the Emperor who ordered Fujimiya Aya to marry the count from the other side of the ocean. How could the Emperor order such a horrible things? Aya-chan deserved a better husband, someone who respected her and knew how to protect her and take a very good care of her.

Ran lowered the telescope to stop his mind from wandering aimlessly. He put them on the windowsill, then he ran his palm along Aya's long, braided hair. "You want to come to kendo practice with me?" he asked softly.

Aya lifted her face, her eyes had suddenly grown bright like the sun in the middle of a day. "Yes, aniki, yes," she nodded with an enthusiasm of a five years old given a candy, as she let go of her brother.

"I'll fetch Momoe-san," said Ran, "while you tidy up your hair."

"Aniki!" Aya pounced Ran's arm playfully. She was blushing deeply, and Ran thought that she looked really pretty like that. He always thought that it was good that Aya was the pretty side of their parents' offspring. As a girl, Aya had just the right skin complexion, dark eyes, and dark hair and lips the color of rose petals. She had an average build which made her look perfect in layers and layers of kimono.

Meanwhile, Ran looked completely different. His skin was even paler than Aya's, yet he had hair the color of blood, and violet eyes. Fortunately, he was a boy that nobody looked twice at him, or gave him more thoughts than just 'he looks rather weird, don't you think?' He was also much taller than most people, skinny, yet his fingers, just like his skin, were like baby's, soft and delicate, as if they were created to hold paper fans and not to swing a sword. Yet he could use a sword very well, and he loved the sword arts, that was why he never missed his kendo practice.

Leaving Aya to tidy up her hair, Ran went to fetch Momoe-san. Momoe-san was the old woman who had been their nanny. Ran did not recall having seen Momoe-san looking younger than she looked now, or older. Momoe-san always looked exactly like that, for as long as he remembered, a short, chubby woman who wore dark kimono all the time, loved tea and had a cat as fat as she was. Ran also did not remember the cat to be younger or older and he did not remember when Momoe-san was without her cat. He found Momoe-san and her cat in the kitchen as usual, Momoe-san nursing a cup of tea, the cat snoring at her feet, oblivious to the busy kitchen around them. The air was thick with delicious aroma of food being cooked.

"Aya-chan wants to go to the kendo practice with me," said Ran, attracting attention to some of the servants and cooks. Aya was planned to get married in seven days' time, she was not supposed to leave the house and play around anymore. Yet, as long as Momoe-san was with her, nobody may have a say about it.

"All right, my child," said Momoe-san, putting the cup on the table. "Can you carry little Shiro for me?"

Shiro the cat was barely little. He was about seven kilos in weight and was a pain to carry around. Yet, without any protests, Ran crouched down to get the cat from the floor, and carried him as he walked back to his room with Momoe-san.

Aya was ready, her hair was redone in several ties, secured with colorful ribbons, like a Heian princess, and she added several more layers kimonos to the ones she had already worn. She smiled broadly as she saw her brother and nanny. Ran handed Shiro to her, and she hugged the spoiled beast affectionately. "How's your day, Momoe-san?" he heard Aya speak cheerfully as he went to get his bag and other things he needed for the kendo practice.

The dojo was owned by an old warrior named Sion. He was not a samurai, he was a ronin, a warrior without master, as he always claimed himself to be. Yet he was a very skillful swordsman that lots of young men admitted themselves to the dojo, in the hope they could learn Sion's expertise and become an even better warrior than he was. Every year, only a few survived the Spartan-like, tough training. Ran was one of them. He really liked Sion, and he really liked kendo , and the fact that he also did not come from a samurai family made him even more eager in becoming the best at the dojo.

When they entered the dojo, there was only one student practicing with Sion's assistant. Sion was sitting by the wall, paying attention, shouting orders between the loud tack tack sound of wooden swords hitting each other. Ran bowed at him curtly, so did Aya and Momoe-san, then the two females and the cat went to take their places at the far corner of the dojo, while Ran prepared himself.

"Isn't she supposed to stay at home until the wedding?" asked Sion as Ran sat down next him.

"Yes, but she is bored, and besides, she's accompanied by Momoe-san, the cat and me," Ran answered curtly.

"I heard the Count had arrived today."

"Yes. He will be staying at the Takatori Castle until the wedding day, then he will stay with us until they leave to go back to his country."

"It's a pity, isn't it?" Sion rubbed his chin. "Aya-chan is such a rare beauty and we're going to lose her to some barbarians. It's a big waste, I tell you."

Ran steeled his heart when he said, "It's the Emperor's order."

"Yes, and the one getting the most benefit from this is the Emperor himself," Sion commented, then he yelled, "_Ippon!_"

The two fighters stopped, and bowed to each other and then to their teacher.

From across the room, Ran saw Aya's face lit up with the sun, the moon and the stars when Sion's assistant, Hidaka Ken, took off his mask. Once again Ran vowed that he would do everything, at any cost, to keep Aya's happiness eternal.

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

**title**: Precious  
**author **: cluelesspsycho  
**fandom**: Weiss Kreuz  
**characters/pairing**: Crawford/Ran, Ken/Aya-chan  
**rating**: NC17  
**warning **: AU Fantasy, a little crack, OOCness, OC, weirdness, slash, cross-dressing, some kinks, pirates, guest appearances, lemons, I'm sure there are more.  
**disclaimer **: I own nothing but my crazy writing talent.  
**summary **: Fujimiya Aya was ordered by the Emperor to marry Count Crawford, a nobleman from the other side of the ocean. However, Ran, her big brother, heard that Count Crawford was a cruel man with strange gift. He didn't want Aya to suffer. Ran arranged for Aya to escape with Ken, and showed up at the wedding as the bride.

Part Two: The Most Valuable Gift

Aya was supposed to marry at the age of twelve, as was customary, however, for some reason, Fujimiya Senior and his wife turned down every proposals from those who wanted Aya's hand in marriage. It was still a big question why that had not led to the whole Fujimiya family being beheaded for humiliating those people, however that did not seem to worry Fujimiya the slightest. He let people see Aya bloom past adolescence into a fully grown, beautiful woman, a flower people could only see, dream and long for, without being able to touch or have. Ran thought that it was a game his father really liked to play, as he was only a merchant and had no noble title or blood at all, yet he had a daughter that would make every woman green with envy.

Still, when the words came from the palace that the Emperor would like Aya to marry Count Crawford, he could not walk his way around it any longer. He accepted the proposal, though Ran suspected that his father made a tough deal with the Emperor before agreeing to let some foreign lord take Aya away from him.

Aya was sixteen. She might be what people called a late-bloomer, still the news of her getting married made people beam with happiness and joy. Some sent letter expressing their disappointment that Lord Reiji and Fujimiya decided to have a private ceremony for the wedding where only very close relatives could attend and conveying their blesses to the lovely bride and the lucky groom. The rest sent gifts.

The first cart fully loaded with gifts arrived in the morning after Count Crawford embarked. Ran took time to watch the servants unloaded the boxes from the cart on his way to his literature class with Matsumono-san. He tried not to think about anything but how loved was Aya, even by people who did not personally know him, and that made him feel warm and happy.

When he came back home late afternoon, after his kendo practice, the gifts had filled one wing of Fujimiya's house, the one where Aya's and his bedroom were located. They came in variety shapes of boxes, from one as small as a cricket cage to one big enough to put a real life size horse statue in, and of variety of designs and materials too. They were laid on the floor, on the tables, along the walls, they were everywhere, and still the servants were receiving many more at the gate.

Ran carefully kneaded his steps around the boxes, heading to Aya's bedroom. He almost grinned to see that the bedroom was not invaded at all, save for a large wooden chest sitting in the centre of the room, its lid open. Aya was sitting next to the chest with Momoe-san and Shiro, she was inspecting a glass ball with Momoe-san, Shiro was snoring near Momoe-san's neatly folded feet. Two servants were sitting quietly at the door, just in case Aya wanted them to bring one or some of the boxes in.

"Aniki!" Aya beamed when she saw Ran. "Look at this."

Smiling, Ran went to sit next to Aya. Aya held the glass ball she was holding. It had some little dolls glued to the inside of the ball. "Look!" Aya cheered as she turned the ball around, and little flakes floated down. Aya giggled, so did Momoe-san. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Ran nodded. It was beautiful. "Where did it come from?"

"It's from The Count," said Aya, putting the glass ball back on its box. "He sent that for me." Aya pointed at the huge chest. Suddenly, Ran felt a lump the size of a ball clotting his throat.

"Aya-chan is very lucky," said Momoe-san in a voice that sounded like affectionate laughter.

"These things are very beautiful," said Aya, pulling out some yards of soft fabric. It was very thin, transparent too, and the thread glinted in the soft light of the bedroom. She ran her palm very carefully over the fabric, afraid that her touch would ruin it. "But I think The Count is very stupid too. Why did he bring me these things, while I'm going with him anyway? We'll have to take these things back to his country, so he might as well keep these there and surprise me."

Ran laughed at the babble, and Aya winked at him secretly. "I think you have fallen in love already with him," he teased his sister.

"Aniki," Aya sulked prettily.

One of the servants entered the bedroom. "Aya-san, your friends want to see you if you'd like to accept them. Your mother has given her permission."

"Of course!" Aya exclaimed happily, and she got up to meet her friends at the door. "Oh I'm so happy you all come to visit me!"

There were five or six girls in colorful kimono, each of them was holding a nicely wrapped box, tied with ribbon. One of them said, "Aya-chan, you're so cruel. How come you won't let us to come to your wedding? I thought we're friends. We want to see the Count too. Now we have to come today to bring our presents for you." And they all giggled and kissed Aya's cheeks and hugged her and Aya herded them inside the bedroom so they could giggle some more and have tea and sweets. Ran only nodded when they greeted him, and he shimmied away, leaving the bedroom to the girls and one cat.

He did not walk straight to his bedroom. He took time to examine the gifts. If he could open the lid without breaking the boxes, because some of them were sealed and were not supposed to be opened until after the wedding, he did. There was jewelry and diamond studded hair accessories, kimono made of the finest silk with the most beautiful embroideries, crystal vases, and chinaware made of first class porcelain, and paintings and books.

Aya was indeed a lucky girl.

Later at night, when the whole house had fallen asleep, Ran went back to Aya's bedroom. The chest was still there, next to the futon where Aya was sleeping. Crouching down, Ran opened the chest carefully, in order not to wake Aya up. Still, Aya stirred, and gasped when she opened her eyes and saw Ran.

"Aniki!" she whispered as she crawled to Ran.

"Shush!" Ran put his finger on his lips.

"Aniki, you don't have to do this," Aya murmured, afraid that people could hear her, which was non-sense. The only persons still wide awake were the guards and they were far away at the gate.

"But you love them, don't you?" said Ran as he spread a black cloth on the floor. "Choose, I can't take them all. People will get suspicious."

"No! I can't. I don't deserve them."

"The Count wants you to have them all, but unfortunately you have to choose, baby sister. Or I'll do it for you and you won't be happy with my choice."

Aya blinked, and as usual, she looked like she was going to cry. "I hate this," she sniffed.

Ran stroked Aya's cheeks fondly. "Such is fate, but we're going to beat it. Now be strong, you're not a child anymore."

Still sniffing, Aya nodded. And then she started to choose, the first she picked up from the chest was the glass ball. There were lots of fine fabrics, some came with exotic embroideries, and there were very expensive jewelries in the designs they had never seen before. There was a necklace with pendant made of gemstone in the exact color of Aya's eyes. "Someone must have given the Count the right description of your eye color," Ran murmured, suddenly thinking about what kind of person the Count was who went the length of finding a gemstone that matched the color of his bride-to-be's eyes.

"You said you heard him having a strange gift," said Aya. "Maybe that is his gift, to know without having to see it first."

Shrugging, Ran cuddled the jewelry in his hand, feeling the white gold the gemstone was embedded into. It was hard and cold and it made him want to cry suddenly. "I haven't found you the right gift."

"Aniki! You have found me the most precious one," Aya scolded in stifled voice. "I'm very lucky to have you as my brother."

"I think you better wear this one," suggested Ran. "Nobody will notice. Besides, the Count wants you to, I guess."

"Okay," Aya smiled.

Ran helped looping the necklace around Aya's neck, and secured the tiny buckle at the nape of Aya's neck. The gemstone shone against Aya's skin. He smiled and kissed her head.

Then he quickly wrapped the gifts from the Count in the black cloth. As quietly as he had come, he walked out of Aya's bedroom, carrying the makeshift bag, leaving his baby sister resume her sleep with a big smile on her face.

He managed to find his way out of the Fujimiya's property without the guards catching him, he knew a secret passage, which Aya and he had used during their childhood to escape the house from time to time. He moved fast, concealing himself in the shadows of houses and shops and trees, heading towards the dojo. However, he did not go to the dojo, he walked past, and kept on walking until he found a small house at the far back of the dojo.

Ken got up to his knees at the sight of Ran, grinning.

"Have you found a good place yet?" asked Ran without greetings.

"Yes," Ken nodded. "Nobody will suspect I keep valuable items there, and it's easy to move things when I need it."

"Good." Ran handed him the bundle. Ken winced when he received it, apparently, he did not expect the bundle to be very heavy. "These are from the Count- his gifts for Aya. Aya wants to keep them, so she will. You're not under any circumstances to sell or use them without Aya's permission."

"Aw, Ran-kun, can't you trust me just a little bit?" Ken groaned. "I may be poor, but I know how to honor something."

"Good, because if you don't, you won't live to see your firstborn," said Ran.

"All right, all right," Ken hugged the bundle. "Poor Count, he brought the gifts, I get…"

Ran smacked Ken's head lightly. "Shut up."

Ken dug his teeth on his lower lips, but that did not stop him from grinning.

"The rest of the things I will bring in the next days, you can use them as you wish, as long as it is for Aya's well-being and health."

Ken pouted. "Ran-kun, I'm a man. I know how to provide for…."

"Maybe you won't have the chance," Ran cut him off sharply, "once this starts. So don't underestimate them."

Ken blinked in disbelief, but he nodded anyway. "All right, all right. I've given you my words, I will do my best to enforce them."

Ran nodded. He knew he did not make a mistake, he had taken the right decision. Everything was for Aya's sole happiness.

Tbc


	3. Chapter 3

**title**: Precious  
**author **: cluelesspsycho  
**fandom**: Weiss Kreuz  
**characters/pairing**: Crawford/Ran, Ken/Aya-chan  
**rating**: NC17  
**warning **: AU Fantasy, a little crack, OOCness, OC, weirdness, slash, cross-dressing, some kinks, pirates, guest appearances, lemons, I'm sure there are more.  
**disclaimer **: I own nothing but my crazy writing talent.  
**summary **: Fujimiya Aya was ordered by the Emperor to marry Count Crawford, a nobleman from the other side of the ocean. However, Ran, her big brother, heard that Count Crawford was a cruel man with strange gift. He didn't want Aya to suffer. Ran arranged for Aya to escape with Ken, and showed up at the wedding as the bride.

Part Three: A New Beginning

"We're ready," said Momoe-san as she carefully threw the white, silk drape over Ran's head, covering Ran's hair and face completely.

Ran let out a soft sigh of relief. He could not be happier. He had gone more and more wary and edgy as Momoe-san put yet another layer of kimono on his body. The kimono were heavy, and the hairdo, as much as Momoe-san made it simple enough yet still giving an impression of the right bridal hairdo beneath the drape, made his scalp itch. "Thank you," he whispered softly.

Momoe-san adjusted the collar of his nagajuuban so it covered his adam's apple completely, then she smiled and cradled his face in her old, wrinkled hands. "You're pretty," she said.

"Aya would've been far prettier." Ran's eyes darkened with sadness when he said that.

"Don't start now," said Momoe-san. "Aya is happy now. You have made sure that she will be happy, and you should be happy for that. You've been a very loving brother to her, a very brave one too. If it was not because of you, this will never happen, and she might not be the only one who will regret this for the rest of her life. We will too. Now you have to be brave too, you have to carry out what you have planned, and at the end, you'll be happy too."

Ran nodded. Everything was for Aya's happiness, and for that, he had arranged for Aya to run away with Ken. They must have gone as far as the border at that very moment, Aya had left the house far before dawn. There was a small shrine there where they should stop because Ran had arranged with the priest to get Ken and Aya wedded. He trusted Ken would not go any further without marrying Aya first. Deep in his heart, he wanted to do something to make sure that it happened, like having someone to follow them and kill Ken if he broke his promise, but he knew that would probably make Aya sad, so he did not. Besides, when this was over, he'd go and find Aya and bring her - and Ken – to where she was supposed to be, the Fujimiya's house.

He wrapped his fingers tightly around the handle of the kaiken, the small decorative sword a bride put inside the obi along with a paper fan. Except that, it was not actually a kaiken, it was a kodachi, a real short sword.

"It's time," Momoe-san touched his elbow. "Let's go. They're waiting."

Ran nodded.

Together, they walked the long corridors towards a new beginning.

The wedding was held in the main hall of the Takatori's castle, as the place was more appropriate. It was a beautiful spring day, and sliding doors were pushed open to garden full of blooming, colorful flowers. It was not yet the time for cherry blossoms but it would be in a matter of days. Two priests knelt at the far end of the hall, with two miko – the maidens – standing near them. They were facing an alcove with a scroll with the names of the kami, a small dais with offering had been prepared below the scroll. Fujimiya Senior and his wife sat on the tatami to the left of the alcove, along with very close relatives and very close friends. Across from them, on the right side were Lord Reiji and the entire Takatori clan, some officials, and a couple of gaijin from the ship.

Ran proceeded very slowly, dragging his heavy kimono. Half-way, Momoe-san went to join the Fujimiya. Ran glanced at his parents. They did not look like they suspected anything. His mother was smiling softly. He felt warm, at the same time his heart beating wildly, and his stomach churning.

He stopped where Count Crawford was waiting, in front of two small tables, and together they kneeled before the tables. Count Crawford was wearing long, black coat and black pants made of fine wool, his shirt invisible beneath the coat, a long necklace made of clear beads with a silver cross at the end hung from his neck, his hair was tied neatly at the nape of his neck with a small black ribbon. He had golden eyes like a tiger, hidden behind a horn rimmed glasses, and Ran thought he smelled nice. He did have big hands like Aya had seen, they looked strong and capable, but Ran tried not to stare too long at them. He focused his attention to the flat porcelain dish holding a miniature pine and a plum tree, a bamboo grove, the statues of a hare and crane which were symbols of longevity, pliancy and fidelity.

Once the bride and groom were in place Lord Reiji opened the ceremony, as he was the official go-between appointed by the Emperor for this marriage. He was smiling widely, proudly, as he spoke, "It is my privilege to open this ceremony in which Count Bradley Crawford and Fujimiya Aya shall be united in marriage before the gods."

Ran took a deep breath, making an effort to do it subtly. One priest began with purifying the room by swishing a long wand tasseled with white paper strips and chanting to chase away evil spirits. Holding back tears proved to be difficult for Ran, as all he could think about was Aya, who was supposed to have this grand, beautiful wedding instead of himself.

The other priest played a flute, while the first one accompanied with a wooden drum, and they were nearing towards the most sacred part of the ritual. After the music stopped, one miko poured concentrated sake into a long-handled brass decanter and brought it to the bride and groom. The other set before them a tray containing three wooden cups in different sizes. From the decanter, the miko filled the smallest cup, bowed and handed it to Ran. The room had fallen into complete silence as Ran accepted it, his fingers trembling a little.

Ran carefully brought the cup into his lips, somehow managing to do it without disturbing the veil at all. He sipped slowly, repeating the process three times. Then the miko refilled it and passed it to Count Crawford. He drank three times, his face did not show any kind of expression. He looked as if he was attending some kind of a boring meeting instead of his own wedding. When Ran glanced at his parents again, he saw his mother was fighting back tears and his father looked like he was torn between too much happiness and the unbearable thought of losing his precious daughter. Ran wanted to run to him and tell him that he had not lost his daughter, at all.

The miko set the cup aside and filled the second one. She handed it to Crawford first, and after three sips, the cup was passed on to Ran. As he drank slowly, Ran thought that he could smell Crawford's scent at the brim of the cup; tobacco and liquor and musk and something very specific, very male. He inhaled deeply, an attempt to distract himself from the heady scent, but instead, the scent filled his nose completely, and that somehow created a thousand butterflies to dance inside his stomach.

It was a big relief to Ran when the third cup was passed and drunk. The flute and music resumed, and the guests smiled and the mikos served sake to the Fujimiyas, the Takatoris, and the foreign guests in honor of the new bond, and they proclaimed in unison, "Omedetou gozaimasu." Count Crawford smiled too, a little, and Ran dug his teeth into his lower lips. Absentmindedly, he lifted his fingers to feel the kodachi beneath his thick obi.

Just a little more, he told himself.

From the small table, Count Crawford picked up the ceremonial document and read in surprisingly well Japanese, his voice cold and sharp and deep, like sword of steel running through flesh, his tone flat as if he was reading out a journal before a court, "We have now become united as husband and wife for all eternity. We vow to execute our marital duties faithfully and spend all the days of our lives together in never-ending trust and affection. Count Bradley Crawford, the fifteenth day of the fourth month." That somehow made Ran feel relieved that he had Aya escape the marriage.

Then, in very low, almost inaudibly voice, Ran read from an identical document. The miko then handed them branches of saka tree with white paper strips attached, leading them to the alcove to make the wedding offering to the gods. Together they bowed and laid the branches on the altar. The miko bowed twice to the altar, then clapped their hands twice. The guests followed suit.

"The ceremony is successfully completed," announced the priest who had performed the whole invocation. "Now the bride and groom can begin to build a harmonious home."

Amidst the murmured blessings, one of the miko stepped towards Ran and reached for the hem of the veil, but Ran caught her hand. The miko looked at him through the thin drape, saw his eyes, and understood. She released the veil, and instead, she went to escort Ran and Crawford to Ran's family. The guests stood, if they were surprised at the unusual manner, they did not show it. Ran and Crawford bowed to Ran's parents and Count Crawford thanked Fujimiya Senior for the honor of joining the family, then they thanked Lord Reiji for his patronage and his generosity in accepting Count Crawford and his entourage in his castle during the wedding preparation. They also thanked the guests for coming.

Then, after the endless congratulations, thanks and blessings, Lord Reiji announced that they all should move to the dining hall were a banquet had been prepared.

Crawford smiled for one moment, a wicked smile, then, lifting his chin, he said, "Unfortunately, something came up in my homeland, and we have to go back straight away. I'm taking my wife to the ship now."

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

**title**: Precious  
**author **: cluelesspsycho  
**fandom**: Weiss Kreuz  
**characters/pairing**: Crawford/Ran, Ken/Aya-chan  
**rating**: NC17  
**warning **: AU Fantasy, a little crack, OOCness, OC, weirdness, slash, cross-dressing, some kinks, pirates, guest appearances, lemons, I'm sure there are more.  
**disclaimer **: I own nothing but my crazy writing talent.  
**summary **: Fujimiya Aya was ordered by the Emperor to marry Count Crawford, a nobleman from the other side of the ocean. However, Ran, her big brother, heard that Count Crawford was a cruel man with strange gift. He didn't want Aya to suffer. Ran arranged for Aya to escape with Ken, and showed up at the wedding as the bride.

Part Four: Persephone

"You can't do that!" Lord Reiji particularly shouted when he had gotten over the shock of the announcement. "It's an insult for us! We have prepared everything and we expect…"

"With all due respects, my lord, my country comes first," Count Crawford spoke in flat, icy cold tone, ignoring Lord Reiji's anger, "and now that I have Lady Aya married to me, I assume I have all the rights to do as I please to her."

Barbarians, Ran gritted his teeth under his veil. It made him feel even more relieved that he got Aya to escape the wedding. He was very confident now that Crawford had planned this from a start. His hand went to the handle of his kodachi again. He was going to kill Count Crawford in private, when they were alone in the bedroom, however, now it seemed that he had to do it here, in front of people. That did not make any difference to him anyway.

"My lord, can we discuss this calmly?" asked Fujimiya Senior, his voice soft, but Ran knew his father was torn between anger and grief. He still had not shown any sign that he had known it was Ran under the veil, not Aya.

"Unfortunately, Fujimiya-san, there is nothing to discuss," replied Count Crawford. "Just rest assured that I won't break my wedding vow whatsoever."

Fujimiya Senior went pale, he looked like as if his blood had been drained from his body. His wife was sobbing behind him, embraced by Momoe-san and some other ladies. Ran's hand moved to pull the kodachi from its sheath.

"In that case, Count Crawford, I will use force…," Lord Reiji spoke.

"No, no," Fujimiya Senior cut in. "I'm sorry, my lord, I'm sorry," he bowed at Lord Reiji, then he turned to Crawford and Ran. "Go, if you must, but don't let me hear that you mistreat my… child, because if that happens, you will be sorry you were even born."

Crawford only snickered. Lord Reiji stomped his socked feet in disdain, but he did not do anything. He crossed his arms across his chest and glowered at the groom.

"Please, can I hug my child for the last time?" Ran's mother asked, tears staining her pretty face, ruining the make up.

Crawford stepped aside to give access, and Ran tore his hand away from the kodachi, not believing that everything ended like this. He fought back tears when his mother slipped her hands beneath the veil and touched his face. Did he really have to go with the count? He could always kill the count when they were on board, but what about Aya? He promised to find her after the wedding, providing that he had killed Crawford, but now he couldn't do that.

"Be safe, my child, and if you want to come back, you know I'll be waiting here for you," his mother spoke softly, pressing her forehead on Ran's.

Ran touched his mother's hands with trembling fingers. He needed to say something. He needed to tell mother where Aya was and mother and father would do something about it.

"The rabbits are waiting for you in the field of poppies," he said slowly, in almost an inaudible voice that only his mother could hear. He decided that it was safe to assume that by now, his mother had found out that he was not Aya, and that she would understand the meaning of his words.

Then, taking his mother's hands, he brought them down. "I'll be fine," he murmured, squeezing his mother's hands before letting them go. He decided that he'd get on the ship, kill Crawford when nobody was looking, then jumped from the ship into the ocean and swam his way back home.

Mother nodded softly, and stepped back.

The other guests parted to give Crawford and Ran to exit, Ran had to carry the tail of his kimono, his drape stayed intact. A carriage was waiting for them outside the castle, and they climbed up, Ran went first with Crawford helping him, their hands touched and Ran almost jolted from the sparks resulted by skin contact. He shifted on his seat, positioning himself as far away from Crawford as possible. The carriage sank a bit with Crawford's weight when he sat down. He did not give Ran so much as a glance.

Then the carriage moved, and Ran did not try to look back. He was coming back soon anyway, therefore there was no point in saying goodbye. His mother perhaps did not join people at the door to see him going. She probably was talking to father now, informing him about Ran's words, and then they would begin planning to find Aya. That was good, and when he came back, Aya was back at home again, and they – including Ken - could all live happily ever after.

They didn't talk during the short trip to the dock, Crawford did not start any conversation and Ran simply did not want his voice betray him. Yet. Besides, he wouldn't know what to do, he didn't know this count at all. Ran had his eyes lowered, hiding his hands among the layers of his kimono, touching his obi to feel the kodachi from time to time. His heart was beating faster than usual, but he took it as anger. His stomach churned, giving him an uneasy feeling. His head itched, he wanted to release his hair from the pins that held them together on top of his head and he definitely wanted to yank the veil off. It was supposed to be Crawford's right to do that, and until the count did it, he could not do anything. He could only wait.

It did not take them long to reach the shore, and again, Crawford helped him getting off the carriage, this time with his hands on Ran's waist. With a brief glance around, Ran found that there was a cart behind them stocked with chests and boxes of his personal stuff. No, Aya's personal stuff. There were also some samurai from the Takatori castle guarding them to make sure that Count Crawford did not do anything stupid until they reached the ship. They had the porters to take the boxes and chests into the ship as Crawford led Ran with his hand on Ran's elbow.

Ran took a deep breath as he walked along the plank connecting the dock to the ship.

_Persephone._

He wondered whether the name meant anything. However, since Crawford did not pause to explain to him, he continued walking.

"Welcome to the Persephone, Count and Countess Crawford," greeted someone at the deck. Ran lifted his eyes and saw a young man, tall and lanky, in velvet coat and pants and ruffled white silk shirt and shiny black boots. The man had long hair in the color of honey, tied back at the nape of the neck. He also had green eyes like jade. His face was a bit exotic, it was certain that he had mixed blood inside his body, but he did speak Japanese very well. "Well, my lord, aren't you going to carry her over the threshold?"

"Shut up, Kudoh," snapped Crawford. "Aya, this is Kudoh Yohji, my cousin who happens to be my personal assistant too. Yohji, don't you dare do anything stupid to my wife."

Yohji grinned from ear to ear and that only had his handsome face even more beautiful. Ran lowered his eyes again. Knowing that Yohji was at least half Japanese somewhat made him calmer.

"Oh, come on, Crawford, my duty is to protect you and that will extend to the Countess as well," Yohji extended his hand to Ran. "May I?"

"No," Crawford swatted his hand. "And I can protect myself and my bride, thank you. You better pay more attention to what's going on in the ship."

Yohji laughed, his voice clear like water from the spring. "There is nothing going on in this ship and I'm glad that this ship will finally experience a more feminine touch."

Crawford glared at him. "No wonder the anchors have not been lifted yet."

"Hey, I'm waiting for the porters to finish loading those boxes and stuff," Yohji shrugged.

"They're done," a timid voice talked from behind Yohji, and Yohji stepped back, hissing, "Goodness! Stop sneaking like a ghost like that, Naoe!"

"I'm not sneaking," the boy pouted. He was so small and so thin, but wearing thick clothes, and Ran thought it was sensible, the clothes were heavy enough to help keeping him on the ground.

"Well, what are you waiting? Go!" Crawford jerked his head toward the opposite direction.

"Aye, aye, sir!" Yohji saluted before marching away.

Crawford subtly took a deep breath. Then he turned to Ran, "This is Nagi Naoe. He'll be your hand-in-waiting during the trip."

Nagi Naoe was clearly Japanese, and Ran wanted to know how the boy ended up in a barbarian's ship like this. Still he did not think that it worth to ask right then, he was leaving anyway, and he did not want to be burdened by someone else's life story.

"I'll show you the room," said Crawford, as he took Ran's elbow again.

They resumed walking, climbing down a flight of stairs to the bottom part of the ship, Naoe following them like an obedience puppy. He did give an impression of a ghost, he walked without making any sound, but that was perhaps he did not wear any shoes or sandals. Even his breath was too soft for human ears.

"Naoe, you can leave us for the moment and I will call you again when I need you," said Crawford when they reached a door.

"Yes, sir," Naoe nodded. "I have prepared food and wine for yourself and tea for the countess, and I have prepared hot water just in case you want to bath, and if the water has…"

"Just go to Yohji and make sure that he does what he's supposed to do, thank you."

With that, Naoe disappeared, walking fast towards the stairs again. Ran made a mental note to tell Crawford not to treat the boy rudely, but then, Crawford was a barbarian, so perhaps it was only a normal behaviour for a barbarian to be rude.

Crawford pushed the door open, providing Ran with a full view of the bedroom. The room was spacious, although not as big as his own, there was a huge bed with canopy in the middle, a wooden drawer cabinet at the left side of the bed and a desk with a chair at the other side, the desk was topped with food and drinks, and there were flowers everywhere, on the cabinet, on the floor, rose petals on the bed.

Crawford inhaled deeply, he looked completely annoyed. "Yohji," he gritted his teeth.

If Aya saw this, she would squeak with delight, and Ran was in the opinion that Yohji was a hopeless romantic who knew very well how to treat a woman, how to get into a woman's heart. Except that Ran was not a woman.

"Come on," said Crawford. "We have this tradition that a groom has to carry his bride from the door to the bedroom."

Ran was in the process of opening his mouth to protest but his body had left the floor suddenly as Crawford lifted him, and carried him to the bedroom. In reflex, he wrapped his arms around Crawford's neck, and he felt something creep inside him… a feeling, a comfortable feeling of being protected. He bit his lower lip to stop him from having stupid ideas in his brain.

Crawford laid him carefully on the bed, the mattress was surprisingly soft like clouds, so unlike his futon back home. However, that brought Ran back to what he was supposed to be doing. He moved to get up, and when he was doing that, Crawford pulled his veil gently.

And now that they were face to face without anything between their eyes, Crawford's golden orbs looked straight into his violet ones, Ran said, "I'm not Aya."

Crawford set his lips into something that might suppose to look like a smile, but it made him look dangerous and devilish.

"I know," he said. "That was why I insisted on leaving as quickly as possible."

Tbc


	5. Chapter 5

Part Five: Going East

Ran batted his eyelids in disbelief, his face suddenly warm, and at the same time he felt a tight knot inside his stomach. "What?"

Crawford gave him that wicked smile again. "I knew that you were going to take Aya's place as my bride."

Ran somehow suddenly remembered that his hair was still pinned high on top of his head, and he felt his scalp itch. He pulled the pin that put the hair together, and let the strands fell like a cascade of waterfall on his shoulders and back. The white kimono made the crimson color of his hair stood out even more. "You knew?" He tried so hard to put together what he was going to ask. How did Crawford know? Did he have someone to spy the house? And if he had known that someone else had replaced Aya as his bride, and he had known that Ran was not a girl, why didn't he…

Crawford stepped closer to the bed, and Ran shifted backwards on his knees, in an attempt to put enough distance between him and the man. However, Crawford simply leaned forward and grabbed Ran's obi. Panicked, thinking that Crawford was going to strip him from his kimono, Ran put his fingers around Crawford's wrist, intending to yank the man's hand from his obi. The skin contact sent shivers down his spine, made his knees weak and his stomach churn rather violently, and he quickly let go of Crawford's wrist and let himself be pulled forward by Crawford's big, strong hand.

With one hand firm on the obi, keeping Ran in place, Crawford used the other to pull the kodachi out of the obi. "Yes, I knew, as well as I knew about this," he said, lifting the short sword at Ran's eye level. "This is such a dangerous thing for a bride to carry. I'm confiscating this, for your own good."

"No!" Ran screamed in shocked. He could not lose the kodachi, not only because it was one of his favourite weapons, but also because it was his only way out. He was going to kill Crawford when they were alone in the bedroom. He tried to reach for the kodachi, however, Crawford stepped back, and Ran fell from the bed, the bundle of layers of kimono prevented his body from hitting the wooden floor too hard, rose petals from the bed showering him.

Crawford did not do anything but watching Ran fall, looking smug. "I'm going to make sure that Yohji does what he was told properly. Get some rest and help yourself with the food. I will send Naoe to help you with the kimono."

With that, he turned around and walked to the door, leaving Ran glaring at him in complete annoyance and dismay.

Words were lost to Ran. He could not even find the right word to yell at Crawford and curse him. He simply felt… he did not even know how to describe his feeling, and that only made him angry at himself.

However, he still had another plan, which he did not like at all, but that thought still put him in a better mood.

He was in the process of getting up, using the bed as support, when he heard a knock on the door. He felt dizzy, as if the floor beneath him was moving, but then he remembered that he was on a ship and the ship had probably started sailing without him realizing it.

"It's Naoe," a voice announced behind the door. "Crawford-sama said that you need my help."

"Come in. The door is not locked," Ran shouted back, not disguising his voice anymore. If Crawford sent Naoe to help him undress, that meant that he had told the truth of his bride to the boy, and there was no point in disguising himself anymore.

The door shifted open, and Naoe stepped inside, and the door moved to close by itself, and Ran tried not to be affected by the scene. It was Naoe who explained, "I'm sorry, I'm weird that way."

"As long as you don't do that to me, I won't care," said Ran firmly.

"I won't," said Naoe as he walked to the chest at the corner of the room. Aya's name was carved in kanji on the wooden chest, however, Ran did not remember one like that among the boxes from Aya's room.

Taking a few things from the chest, Naoe went back to Ran and began helping him undress, starting from the obi, and went through the layers of kimono methodically, taking a break between each layer to fold the expensive clothes neatly and stack them on the bed. After all the heavy silks were off, leaving Ran in chihara and hakama, Naoe helped him put on a lighter kimono that was dark purple in the background with white cherry blossoms all over. He did not utter a single word during the process, nor did Ran feel like talking. There was a flash of thought where Ran wondered if he should ask how Naoe ended up working for Crawford; however, he had the feeling that if he found out, it would only distract him from his plan.

"Would you like to eat while I comb your hair?" asked Naoe as he put the wedding kimono into the chest. "I'll heat the sake and tea."

"No, no need to heat the tea and sake," said Ran. "That won't be necessary."

He went to the desk where food and tea and sake were laid, and sat down on the highbacked chair with velvet upholstery. The chair swallowed him, and he felt uncomfortable.

"I'll make a low table for you," said Naoe as he poured tea into a cup.

"That won't be necessary either," said Ran quickly. He was not planning to stay long anyway.

He ate alone as Naoe combed his hair. The food was cooling, but he had no complaint. He was hungry; he only had some onigiri and tea in the morning while he was dressing, and then sake from the ceremony was all he had afterwards. He wondered what happened back at the Takatori Castle. Had they started to search for Aya and Ken? He hoped they had. He also forced himself to eat as much as he could, although the food tasted like foam inside his mouth. He needed the energy and the strength.

Naoe oiled Ran's hair to make it shiny, and then he said, "I will help you wash your hair tomorrow."

"Thank you," said Ran quietly. He wanted to tell Naoe that he would not be here tomorrow, but he swallowed his words along with the sticky rice.

"Crawford-sama is a good man," Nagi continued. His voice soft; however, there was no affection in it. "You'll be fine with him, he'll take a good care of you."

Ran wanted to tell Naoe that he would be fine without Crawford. He did not understand why Naoe spoke as if Crawford was looking forward to spend the rest of his life with another man as his spouse. Ran certainly did not want to share his bed with another man whatsoever. The thought of sleeping side by side with Crawford made him shudder. He had to run away before night fell.

"I think I could use some fresh air," said Ran as he put his chopsticks down. He gulped a cup of tea.

"Yes, I think you must," said Naoe. "You look pale. You don't get seasick, do you?"

"No, I don't," Ran shook his head. He had traveled with his father from time to time, sometimes on ships like this, although not as big, he could very well handle seasickness.

"Good, because we're sailing through a new ocean and I don't know what lies in front of us," said Naoe as he went to the chest.

Ran frowned. "What do you mean?" His fingers tightened around the tea cup.

"Oh, we're heading this newly-found land called the New World."

The cup almost slipped from Ran's hands, as the news shocked him. What the hell was this all about? "I thought Crawford had to come back to his homeland because something happened to his King."

Naoe came back with a robe for Ran. "Something is happening to the King; however, what Crawford-sama needs to take care of is in Virginia."

Ran carefully put the cup down on the desk, his mind was swirling fiercely. If they were sailing towards the New World, then they were sailing east, and he did not have any idea what kind of ocean was waiting at the east side. He had to go now, before it was too late and he could not swim back to the shore.

"I'll accompany you," said Naoe as he draped the robe over Ran's shoulders. "You might get lost."

"I'll be fine," Ran said as he got up. He did not want Naoe to know that he was going to jump from the deck into the sea. "You just stay here and tidy things up."

"All right," Naoe nodded.

Ran walked out of the room, slowly at first, normally, then when he was out of the door, he quickened his steps. He still remembered the corridors, and he knew where the stairway was.

He was glad to see that the sky was still bright when he reached the deck. It was barely noon after all. He slowed down to admire the beautiful ship. The deck was very spacious, and the ship looked strong and sturdy enough to ride the biggest ocean waves. He felt a bit sorry that he could not be here any longer, but he had things to take care of and he simply did not plan to spend the rest of his life living in another country, another place but Japan, and certainly not a new land called Virginia. He was so caught up with his own thoughts and the overwhelming beauty of the ship that it did not occur to him to wonder why there was nobody on the deck. For a huge ship like Persephone, there should at least be one hundred crew members.

Ran walked towards the railing, and from there he could still see the land at the horizon. They had gone quite far, but not very far away, if Ran calculated it right. It was still possible for him to swim. He was a good swimmer. He was strong, and he would reach the shore with no problem at all.

Ran shrugged the robe off, so it would not burden him when he swam back to the land, then he climbed the railing. The ship was swaying with the waves; however, Ran steeled his heart.

He looked down, at the moving water, clear and blue and beautiful, and took a very deep breath.

He was ready.

"Going somewhere?" someone spoke behind him. It was Crawford.


End file.
